Maritime Master Plan 2012
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MARITIME MASTER PLAN ‘A Plan for the Waters of Baltimore’s Harbor’ Adopted: February 2, 2012 Prepared by: Jill M Lemke Economic Development Planner Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Mayor Thomas J. Stosur Director Technical Advisory Committee Members: Andrew Nixon Rukert Terminals Corp. Bill Flohr Inner Harbor East Marina Brian Miller MD Port Administration Capt. Eric Nielsen Association of Maryland Pilots Cary Lynch General Ship Repair Chris Rowsom Living Classrooms Foundation, Historic Ships Frances Knauff Inner Harbor Dock Master Jon Romeo US Army Corp of Engineers, Baltimore District Kenneth Ropp MD DNR Waterway Improvement Program Lt Ron Houck US Coast Guard Mark Kreafle Sr Maryland Port Administration Nick Kelly MD DNR Critical Area Commission Paul Swenson Moran Towing, Inc Richard Hurley Citizen Representative Rick Mazmanian MD Port Administration Robert Cuthbertson MDE Tidal Wetlands Division Sharon Kempa Department of Real Estate Thomas J. Stosur Baltimore City Department of Planning Technical Advisory Committee - Ad Hoc Members Adam Lindquist Waterfront Partnership, Inc. Arlisa Anderson Baltimore Development Corp. Barry Robinson Baltimore City Department of Transportation Beth Strommen Baltimore City Department of Planning Gary Letteron Baltimore City Department of Planning Irene Van Sant Baltimore Development Corp. Jill Lemke Baltimore City Department of Planning Laurie Schwartz Waterfront Partnership, Inc. Special Thanks to: Bill Gillmore Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts Chris Streb Bio Habitats Inc. Ivor Quashie Baltimore City Department of Planning Jamie Kendrick Baltimore City Department of Transportation Lt. John "Marty" Cosgrove Baltimore City Fire Department Marianne Navarro Baltimore Development Corp. Robert Rushlow MDE Wetlands and Waterways Shawn Kiernan MD Port Administration Ted Laster Baltimore City Department of Real Estate Walter Horton Baltimore City Department of Real Estate 2011 Baltimore Maritime Master Plan i The Maritime Master Plan A Plan for the Waters of Baltimore’s Harbor Table of Contents: INTRODUCTION 1 Background and Overview 1 Plan Goals 2 2012 Maritime Master Plan Update 3 THE PLANNING PROCESS 5 Current Conditions 5 Community Input 6 Proposals for Amendments 6 Future Amendments 7 HARBORWIDE POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 8 Harbor Management 8 Marine Traffic Assessments 9 Commercial Shipping 10 Marinas 14 Recreational Marinas 15 Industrial Marinas 18 Dry Storage Marinas (Boatels) 18 Small Craft Operations, Kayaks & Canoes 20 Water Taxis, Excursion Vessels, and Other Tour Vessels 21 Cruise Ship Terminals 24 Pier Head Lines 25 Water Quality (includes Floating Wetlands) 28 Utilities and Fire Safety 31 View Corridors 32 Historic Vessels 34 RECOMMENDATIONS BY LOCATION 36 Inner Harbor 36 Inner Harbor East 38 Key Highway 41 Key Highway Industrial Area 43 Fells Point 45 Canton 47 South Locust Point/Port Covington 50 Middle Branch 51 Fairfield 53 Hawkins Point 54 2011 Baltimore Maritime Master Plan ii Table of Contents (Continued): APPENDIX A – 2012 PROPOSAL DETAILS 55 Recreation Pier Marina 55 Downtown Sailing Center Dock Reconfiguration 56 Central Avenue Bridge 57 Harbor Point Marina 58 Entertainment Cruises Relocation 59 Fairfield Barge Terminal 60 Pier Extension, 1000 Key Highway 61 Safety & Signage Improvements 62 Harborview Floating Wetlands 63 APPENDIX B – 2003 PROPOSAL DETAILS 65 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Areas to be Updated 5 Table 2: Harbor Management Recommendations – Harbor Master 9 Table 3: Number of Boat Slips in Recreational Marinas 15 Table 4: Guidelines for New Marina Development 16 Table 5: Criteria for Approval – Dry Storage Marinas 19 Table 6: Guidelines for Small Craft Launch Points 21 Table 7: Guidelines for Water Taxi Stops & Tour Operations 23 Table 8: Guidelines for Cruise Ship Terminal Location 24 Table 9: Guidelines for Pier Head Line Extensions –Shipping Zone 27 Table 10: Guidelines for Pier Head Line Extensions – Safety Zone 27 Table 11: Guidelines for Floating Wetlands 29 LIST OF MAPS Map 1: Commercial Shipping – Terminals and Industrial Marinas 13 Map 2: Recreational Marinas 17 Map 3: Water Taxi Stops 23 Map 4: Pier Head Lines and Inner Harbor Safety Zone 26 Map 5: Northwest Harbor View Corridors 33 Map 6: Middle Branch View Corridors 34 Map 7: Key Highway Marinas and Harborview Floating Wetland Area 42 Map 8: Fells Point Area View Corridors 46 Map 9: Middle Branch Open Space Map 52 2011 Baltimore Maritime Master Plan iii Table of Contents (Continued): LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: MMP Context – The Waters of Baltimore Harbor 4 Figure 2: Aerial Image – South Locust Point Cruise Ship Terminal Area 24 Figure 3: Inner Harbor 36 Figure 4: Inner Harbor East 38 Figure 5: Key Highway 41 Figure 6: Key Highway Industrial Area 43 Figure 7: Fells Point 45 Figure 8: Canton 47 Figure 9: Middle Branch 51 Figure 10: Fairfield/Masonville Cove 53 Figure 11: Hawkins Point 54 2011 Baltimore Maritime Master Plan iv The Maritime Master Plan A Plan for the Waters of Baltimore’s Harbor INTRODUCTION Background and Overview Baltimore’s Harbor is one of our greatest assets, attracting millions of visitors each year from across the region and around the world. The Harbor has always been a central force in Baltimore history, functioning as a major port for international shipping and boat building for over 300 years. Its history as a working port changed during the 1950’s, when American industry began to shift overseas. This led to fundamental changes in the structure of commercial shipping across the U.S. In the early 1970’s, the Harbor’s beauty and vitality began to attract developers, residents, tourists and recreational boaters in ever-increasing numbers. The Harbor continued to hold on to its port industries as well, providing precious deep-water resources to viable commercial shipping and manufacturing businesses. As all of these interests increasingly competed for the same limited resource in the 1980’s, it became evident that a balance had to be struck to allow each of these economic development generators to coexist on the water, while maximizing safety. The original Marina Master Plan was adopted in 1985, and then updated in 1989, to provide a framework for responsible management of the Harbor. Its goal was, and remains, to allow access to the water by recreational boaters; to protect and allow for growth of the commercial shipping industry; and to accomplish these while maximizing navigational safety for all Harbor users. Over the next 14 years, the Harbor’s popularity continued to grow, causing more maritime congestion than had existed previously. These demands on the Harbor went far beyond traditional recreational boating, and included requests for tourism and transportation by large excursion vessels, historic ships, seaplanes and helicopters, kayaks and canoes, and personal watercraft (such as jet-ski’s).The City also experienced an increasing amount of interest in conversion of industrial land to mixed-use commercial and residential development that capitalized on valuable waterfront locations. Commercial shipping and manufacturing interests began to advocate for the maintenance of industrially-zoned lands along the waterfront and the deep-water assets necessary for maritime commerce. In an increasingly global economy, maritime shipping was becoming a critical component of the economy. Management and balance between the many water-based interests, therefore, became of paramount importance to the City’s well-being. As a result of these changing, and often conflicting, development pressures, then Mayor Martin O’Malley realized the need to take a 2011 Baltimore Maritime Master Plan 1 fresh look at the Harbor’s future, and in 2002, charged the Department of Planning with once again updating the Marina Master Plan. In order to provide expertise regarding the technical aspects of navigation and boating, the Department of Planning re-activated the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), an advisory committee of marine professionals. Membership of the TAC included marine professionals such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United States Coast Guard, the Maryland Port Administration, commercial and recreational boating representatives, water- based business owners, appropriate City agencies, and others. The 2003 plan had an expanded policy focus that was reflected in its new name, the Maritime Master Plan. The 2003 Maritime Master Plan called for a six-year review and update of the Plan in order to adapt to changing demands for the use of this valuable natural and civic resource. To accomplish this, in 2011, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake again charged the Department of Planning to review progress toward the goals and strategies set forth in the approved plan, and the Technical Advisory Committee was reconvened to review progress on attainment of plan goals and objectives, collect proposed amendments and update the plan. Plan Goals The overall Goal is to provide a framework for the safe and environmentally responsible management of competing interests in Baltimore’s Harbor in order to control growth of the recreational boating industry while protecting the integrity and growth of commercial shipping and industry in the Port of Baltimore. A number of key principles stem from this overall goal, and include the following: Separating commercial and recreational activities in the Harbor to the extent necessary and possible. Considering the appropriate boat slip capacity and maximums for each site. Minimizing the potential for boating accidents. Minimizing congestion. Safeguarding